The Sorcerer
by intense-tardis-noise
Summary: Arthur and Merlin have secretly began falling for each other. When they confess their love, Merlin confesses a bit more than he probably should have. Will Arthur accept Merlin, or will he throw him out of Camelot and out of his life for good? (Rated M for smut and this was supposed to be a one-shot, but oops.)
1. Chapter 1

Arthur stormed into his chambers. Merlin sat on the other side of the room polishing his armor.

"Merlin, don't go running off when you're done with that, I have plenty more for you to do afterwards," Arthur said. Merlin let out a disappointed sigh, but he hoped that Arthur had not heard him.

"Is there a problem?" he asked. He was not looking for an answer, though. It was basically his way of saying 'stop complaining.'

"Is there any way I could get off early tonight, sire?" Merlin asked, almost sounding desperate.

Arthur looked at him. "Why?" he demanded. Merlin flinched at the tone of his voice.

"Well, I had plans is all… but it doesn't matter, I don't need to go…" Merlin mumbled.

Arthur tried to calm his expression as he saw the uneasiness in his servant.

"Yes, Merlin, you may be excused early, tonight. I'm sorry if I have startled you," Arthur said.

Merlin smiled up at Arthur. "Oh, thank you, thank you, Arthur!" he said excitedly. Arthur couldn't help but smile at Merlin. He always smiled at Merlin.


	2. Chapter 2

A few hours later Arthur had told Merlin that he could leave. As Merlin got ready to leave Arthur watched him. He always watched him. He loved just to look at Merlin. Whenever Arthur felt his presence he couldn't resist. He always turned his gaze to him and just watched him. Merlin never seemed to notice though. Even if he did, he did not show any sign of discomfort.

"Well, I'll be off then. See you tomorrow, Arthur. And thank you again for letting me leave early today," Merlin said with a big smile as he head for the door.

The words spilled out of Arthur's mouth before he could stop himself. "Merlin, wait!" he said. He hoped Merlin didn't hear the desperation in his voice.

"What is it?" Merlin asked, sounding very confused.

"Can you come here, only for a moment…" Arthur continued. He didn't know why he couldn't just let Merlin go.

Merlin approached Arthur slowly, almost fearful. He eventually made it to Arthur who was sitting on the edge of his bed. He motioned for Merlin to sit down.

"Merlin, I have something I'd like to talk to you about…" Arthur went on. Even Arthur could hear how weak his voice sounded.

"Is something wrong, Arthur?" Merlin asked. He was very concerned for his friend.

Before either of them knew what was happening, Arthur grabbed Merlin's face and kissed him. Merlin pulled away rather quickly and Arthur's face turned a deep shade of red. "I'm so sorry Merlin… I-I…"

Arthur went to stand up and leave Merlin on his own but Merlin grabbed his arm. Arthur looked down at Merlin. His eyes were red and Merlin could see that he had started crying.

"I'm sorry Merlin, I just, I haven't been able to focus on anything lately… All that's been on my mind is you."

Merlin looked confused so Arthur just continued. "I know when I first met you I treated you horribly, and I still kind of do. But to be completely honest, I've been falling in love with you Merlin. Everything, the way you talk, the way you work, it's all just wonderful and I just couldn't let you go without telling you how I felt. I'm sorry if this has scared you away and I understand if you don't want to work for me anymore…"

Merlin pulled Arthur's arm so he was sitting on the bed again. Arthur looked down at his lap, too afraid to meet Merlin's eyes. He didn't know what he'd find there.

"So, the Prince of Camelot has a crush on his servant. Hah," Merlin said, more to himself than to Arthur.

"Shut up, Merlin," Arthur said with a slight smile. Merlin cupped Arthur's face and Arthur looked up at Merlin. Slowly they both fell back into the kiss. After a few moments Arthur's hands began to explore every part of Merlin's body.

"So Merlin…" Arthur spoke in between kisses. "Where were you off to tonight?"

"I-I was going to… well, it doesn't matter now." Merlin breathed.

Arthur broke the kiss and Merlin whimpered slightly at the loss of his lips.

"Where were you _going_?" Arthur asked again in a much more demanding tone.

"Well, I planned on going out with someone…" Merlin said shyly.

Arthur grabbed Merlin by his arse and pulled him onto his lap so Merlin was straddling his legs.

"Do you like this plan better, then?" Arthur growled, tightening his grip on Merlin.

"Yes," Merlin moaned.

Arthur moved his hands inside Merlin's shirt and slowly pulled it up. Once Arthur had successfully removed Merlin's shirt Merlin helped him remove his as well. Arthur continued to move his hands all over Merlin. He eventually placed his hand over Merlin's groin, where his member had already become extremely hard. Merlin gasped into the kiss and Arthur smiled and growled slightly.

"Arthur, please, I need to feel you. _All of you_," Merlin begged.

Arthur groaned and he swore he could cum right there just hearing Merlin's voice so low and lustful.

Merlin moved up so their groins were touching and he began grinding into Arthur.

"Fuck Merlin…" Arthur growled. This only made Merlin grind harder. Arthur fell back on the mattress and continued to moan. After a few moments he grabbed Merlin's hips and he stopped.

"I'd like to get my clothes off before I cum, if you don't mind," Arthur said between gritted teeth. Merlin smirked and slowly got off of Arthur. Arthur stood up and ripped off his pants and undergarments before pulling Merlin over and doing the same to him. Within minutes they were both naked and pressed up flush against each other. They kissed each other ravenously. Soon Arthur began walking backwards and fell on the mattress, pulling Merlin down on top of him. Their erections brushed briefly and they both let out lustful gasps.

"Arthur, please. Please take me now," Merlin begged. Arthur flipped them over and began trailing kisses down Merlin's stomach. As he got closer to Merlin's member he stopped and began slowly caressing the inside of Merlin's thighs with his hands. He reached Merlin's aching member and ghosted his hand over it. Merlin thrust upward desperately, but Arthur just took his hand away.

"Don't be such a fucking tease, Arthur," Merlin gasped. Arthur let out a light chuckle and made his way up to Merlin's lips and kissed him again.

"That's _no way_ to speak to your prince, _Merlin_," he said as he wrapped his hand around Merlin's length. He squeezed it when he said Merlin's name and Merlin threw his head back and let out a loud groan. Arthur hushed him by kissing him roughly.

"Be quiet. We don't want my father to hear us," Arthur said quietly.

Arthur slowly moved back down to Merlin's member and ghosted his breath over it before taking it all into his mouth. Merlin let out a throaty groan as he thrust once uncontrollably into Arthur's mouth. Arthur held down Merlin's hips as he slowly began bobbing up and down on Merlin's already engorged member. Merlin bit his lip as he tried desperately to keep his moans quiet. Arthur let his teeth lightly graze over Merlin and he lost it. He cried out Arthur's name as he released into Arthur's mouth. Arthur swallowed all of the sweetness before slowly popping Merlin's softening cock from his mouth.

"Well, you don't last very long at all, do you?" Arthur joked.

Merlin was still almost breathless as he replied "only someone with a mouth as good as yours can make me cum that quickly. _Damn _Arthur, that was _amazing_."

Arthur came back up and kissed Merlin's lips extremely roughly so Merlin could know how sweet he tasted.

"Are you ready for me to take you, _my servant_," Arthur breathed into the kiss. He felt Merlin shudder underneath him. He also felt a familiar appendage begin to harden against his thigh.

"Easy to please, I see," Arthur teased.

"Oh, shut up," Merlin responded. Arthur grabbed Merlin's wrists and pinned him down roughly on the bed as he rubbed their erections together. Merlin gritted his teeth, clenched his eyes, and threw back his head. When he opened them again he saw intense blue eyes looking into his. Merlin actually grew a bit anxious of what Arthur would do. Merlin was so caught up in thinking about this he almost didn't feel Arthur's already slicked member grazing his entrance. Merlin gasped and Arthur backed away slightly. Merlin whimpered at the loss.

"So you want me to shut up _Merlin_?" Arthur challenged, tightening his grip on Merlin's wrists. Merlin groaned in response.

"Then I say, _make me_," Arthur said as he slammed into Merlin.

Merlin's whole body jerked and he screamed Arthur's name. Arthur didn't hush him, though. He wanted people to hear him claiming Merlin as his own. He wanted people to know that Merlin was _his_, and nobody else's.

Arthur started at a slow, passionate pace. He released Merlin's wrists and moved his hands to caress Merlin's hips. He leaned down to Merlin's face and kissed him slowly and gently. Merlin's moans were soft and each moan Arthur heard pushed him closer to his climax. But he held on. He didn't want this to end. The other stuff they had done prior to this seemed rushed, but this was slow and passionate. It was actual love making. Arthur had closed his eyes and buried his head in the crook of Merlin's neck, but after a few moments he lifted his head and opened his eyes. Merlin's lovely blue eyes were looking right back at him, smiling. Arthur had picked up the pace slightly since they had started but it still remained at a slower pace. But neither of them seemed to mind. In fact they both enjoyed it.

"It feels… s-so good, Arthur," Merlin said quietly. Arthur leaned down and landed a few soft kisses on Merlin's neck and collar bone.

After about twenty more minutes of the passionate love making, Arthur released inside of Merlin letting out a long groan. He looked down at Merlin to see that he was still hard.

"Want me to take care of that for you, love?" Arthur asked lightly.

Merlin smiled. "If you would be so kind, Sire."

Arthur took Merlin in his hand and jerked him lightly as he kissed him. Merlin moaned desperately into his mouth. It wasn't long before Merlin released again all over his and Arthur's stomachs.

"I've climaxed twice tonight, whilst you have only had one. Since when does the servant get better treatment?" Merlin joked.

"As long as you are my servant, you will be treated like a king," Arthur whispered.

"Oh, please don't make me hard again, I'm exhausted," Merlin groaned. Arthur nibbled on Merlin's collar bone lightly.

"I'll try," Arthur said with a smirk.

Arthur rolled off of Merlin and nestled up beside him. Merlin shifted as if he was going to get up and Arthur looked up at him.

"Is something wrong?" Arthur asked.

"Don't you want me to leave? I mean, I don't want your father to find us here like this," Merlin rambled.

Arthur hugged Merlin tightly. "I don't care if he finds us here like this, Merlin; if he denies me for loving you, then to hell with my father."

"Wait… you- you _love _me?" Merlin asked.

"Of course I do, Merlin. I love everything about you," he responded. He ran his fingers through Merlin's hair and brought himself up to kiss him on his swollen lips.

"Nobody has ever said they loved me before…" Merlin said, blushing.

"Well, hopefully I'll be the only one you ever hear it from," Arthur said lovingly.

Merlin let out a soft, almost giggle-like laugh, then immediately hid his face as it turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Did you just _giggle_?" Arthur said with a laugh.

"_Shut up!_" Merlin said his voice muffled by the blanket he hid his face under.

"Oh don't be so defensive, you're adorable," Arthur said as he pulled the blanket off of his face. Arthur kissed Merlin once more before leaning over to blow out the candle that had shrunk sufficiently during their activities.

Arthur snuggled up to Merlin again. Merlin's heartbeat accelerated as he thought of the secret he had been hiding from Arthur.

_I must tell him… if he truly loves me, he won't let this bring us apart._

"Merlin?"

Arthur's voice brought Merlin out of his thought.

"What?" he asked nervously.

"You're heart feels like it is about to beat out of your chest, what's wrong?"

"I… I have to tell you something Arthur."

Arthur felt his heart drop. "What is it?"

"I… I… I am… a… sorcerer…"

Arthur stared at Merlin dumbfounded as Merlin's head dropped.

"Surely you're joking," Arthur said panicked, sitting up immediately.

Merlin looked up as tears rolled down his face.

"_I'm so sorry_," he said.

Arthur pushed himself away from Merlin and ran his hands through his hair, starting to breath heavily.

"Arthur, please, please, hear me out," Merlin begged.

"I need you to leave…" Arthur demanded. He stood up and pulled his clothes on and began to pace the room.

Merlin stood up and did the same as he walked towards Arthur.

"Arthur, _please-_"

"I _trusted _you. How could you do this Merlin? How could you _hide _this from me for so long?" Arthur yelled. Merlin saw that tears began to roll down Arthur's face as well.

"Just get out of my _sight_ Merlin."

Arthur approached Merlin menacingly and grabbed his shirt and pulled Merlin towards him.

"If I _ever _see you again, I will _kill you_," he growled. He threw Merlin to the floor and turned away from him.

That was the moment that both of their hearts shattered.

**A/N: I'm so sorry! I literally only wanted to make a one-shot, but I turned it into a story. But please review if you have any comments/criticisms, and if you feel like I should continue, let me know! Thanks for reading, friends. ^u^**


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin looked up at Arthur. He knew he was fuming. But he was willing to risk it. His life was worthless if Arthur did not ever want to see him again.

"Arthur, please don't do this," Merlin begged. He was sobbing now and he knew he sounded pathetic but he couldn't help it.

Arthur turned around and glared at Merlin. Merlin looked into his eyes. They were not the same eyes he had seen a few hours earlier. These eyes were raging with hate. They were raging with hate for Merlin. Merlin cringed at the harshness in those blue eyes.

"Get. Out. Merlin."

Merlin slowly stood and faced Arthur; the tears never ceased their fall. "I'm sorry that I've broken your trust. But in the actions you have done, you have also shown that your feelings were false, they were just words. Meaningless words,"

The anger in Arthur's face increased. "You cannot speak to me like that, I am your _prince_. You are just a worthless sorcerer. Nobody cares for you," he said. The hatred in these words spit at Merlin like venom from a snake.

"I'm the same person I was, Arthur! I'm still Merlin! I've always had magic, I haven't changed! I'm still _me_! I still love you!" Merlin sobbed.

Arthur pushed Merlin up against the wall, his hand around his throat, almost choking him. He grabbed his sword from the table nearby and held it menacingly against Merlin's chest. After a moment, Arthur dropped his sword and released his grip on Merlin.

"Just go before I change my mind and kill you…" Arthur said.

Merlin looked at Arthur for a moment. He wanted to kiss Arthur; just one last time. If he did so, he might be killed. But he didn't care anymore. He knew that there was no point. There was no fixing this problem. Merlin stepped in front of Arthur who just glared at him. He stepped up to him and lightly kissed him on the lips. Arthur did not move except to put a hand on the back of Merlin's head, as if he welcomed the kiss. But the kiss ended as soon as it started, and Merlin was gone. Arthur felt the words '_Merlin wait. I'm sorry._'catch in his throat, but it was too late. Arthur fell to his knees and sobbed.

_Arthur, you idiot, what have you done?_


	4. Chapter 4

Months passed. Merlin had long since left Camelot to live with the Druids. Arthur did not go a single day without thinking of Merlin. He often went to Gaius to see if he had heard from Merlin.

"Not a word. I doubt I'll ever hear from him again. The night he left he didn't even leave an elaborate note. He just packed up his things and left. The note only said. 'My destiny is done. I'm off to the Druids. –Merlin'" Gaius always said.

Every time Arthur heard this his heart sank a little more.

"I'm going to go find him…" Arthur said one day.

"I don't advise it, Arthur. I don't think he wishes to be found," Gaius said.

"But I must Gaius; I care for him too much…" Arthur fell to his knees and tears began to fall. Gaius rested his hand on the young prince's shoulder.

"I know you miss him, Arthur. But some things are better left alone. I wish I could talk to you further, but I am very caught up in my work now that Merlin isn't here to help," Gaius said. Arthur stood up and left the court physician to his work.

Arthur returned to his chambers. He spent a lot of time thinking. He thought of leaving it alone, just carrying on with his normal routine. But it had only been a few months and he was already insane with regret. He needed to go to the Druid camp. He needed to find Merlin. He just needed to. He noticed that night had finally fallen and he decided that he was indeed going to leave and find Merlin. He packed a bag and left his room. Unfortunately he barely made it down the hall before being stopped by a guard.

"Prince Arthur? What are you doing?"

Arthur did not want to sound hesitant, but he was doing a very poor job of doing anything otherwise. "I was just, uh, about to go on a hunting trip?" The upward inflection on the last word probably made the guard even more suspicious.

"It is the evening, Sire," said the guard, looking very confused.

"Yes, this is when the uh, the um, the, night animals are out," he said sheepishly.

"You're father won't be pleased with you leaving at this time of day."

"Oh, I'll be back before he notices, I'm sure of it."

"Sire, perhaps leaving at some other time would be more preferable."

"Perhaps you are right… have a nice, evening, then," Arthur said, trying his best to not sound completely devastated. He sulked back to his chambers and slammed the doors shut. He threw the bag to the ground and fell face down into his mattress. He let out an exasperated sigh as he drifted into an uneasy sleep.


	5. Author's Note 1

**A/N: Okay, so I did notice that I have been moving a little too fast with the story so I'm going to go back and try to fix things. It may be a while before I add anything new, but I am going to update the chapters that are up because they do move kind of fast and it has been bugging me. I'm also working on like 3 other stories at the moment trying to update those for you as well. And then there's school. So I promise I am working to get all of these things updated for you guys. Thanks for all the follows and favourites and stuff, I really appreciate it. ^u^ Carry on.**


	6. Chapter 5

Merlin enjoyed life at the Druid camp. He wasn't alone. Everyone had magic, he was surrounded by friends, and he was even able to successfully hone his magic with the help of the Druids. He had become a very powerful sorcerer; more powerful than he ever could have been in Camelot. The one thing he did not find in the Druid camp was love. Merlin never did stop loving Arthur, and all of his friends there knew it. They saw the way he lost himself in thought whenever he happened to mention Arthur's name. And even when he did not mention his name, they could hear his multiple thoughts of Arthur. As far as Merlin knew, Arthur was still out for his head. Merlin was completely unaware of the fact that Arthur had been torn up about the events since Merlin fled from his chambers that night.

One evening a few Druids had warily traveled up the path that led towards Camelot. Rumor had reached them that Prince Arthur was leading an army to destroy the camp. None of the Druids knew where these rumors had come from, but they had been circulating for a while. Knowing Camelot's hatred of magic, they had been sending out patrols for months just to make sure that they were not really in any sort of danger.

"It has been months, I don't think Arthur is sending an army. I know him, he would have sent one by now," Merlin said to his group of friends as they sat waiting for the early evening patrol to return.

"Try telling that to the elders," said a woman named Annalyn. Annalyn was around Merlin's age. She had very pale skin and long curly ginger hair. Her skin was covered in freckles, and she had amber eyes that looked like burning fires in the fading sunlight.

"No one will ever be able to convince them that Camelot isn't after them until Uther's rein has come to an end," said a man by the name of Morys. Morys was indeed an older gentleman. He had fine white hair and wrinkled skin that had been tanned throughout the years. Morys had been with this group of Druids since he was a young boy. According to him, the leaders have always been convinced that Uther was ready to attack them at any given moment. He said the patrols go back as far as he can remember. Morys almost reminded Merlin of Gaius, which is most likely why he took such a liking to him.

Merlin had only been on one patrol since he had joined the Druids. That is where he met Annalyn. All they did was hide in bushes and trees along the path from Camelot while watching and listening for any sign of an army approaching. No signs ever came. According to Morys, there was only one time when Camelot knights had been spotted but it turned out that they had been headed for a different region and they turned off of the path headed to the Druid camp. The Druids had been forced to prepare for battle even after this news had been delivered. Ever since that moment, everyone had dreaded the patrols.

Drums began to play in the background as the patrol entered the camp. Merlin, Morys, and Annalyn all stood and made their way slowly to the crowd forming at the entrance to hear what the patrol had to say. They already knew what was going to be said:

"There are no signs to be reported of any enemy actions within our borders."

Adults sighed and children rolled their eyes as they all turned to continue their activities with the sliver of daylight that still remained.


	7. Chapter 6

Arthur woke up the next morning in the same position that he had landed when he fell onto the mattress the night before. He groaned and rolled over into a more comfortable position and closed his eyes again. As soon as he closed his eyes there was a loud knock at the door.

"What is it, Merlin?" he groaned, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Sire?" said the voice outside the door. It was one of the guards.

"Yes, what is it?" he called again, sitting up and attempting to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

"It is time to get ready, Sire. It is the Lady Morgana's birthday today; your father requests your presence."

"It is the beginning of the day, what could he possibly want right now?" Arthur complained.

"It is midday, Sire."Arthur jerked up and ran to the window. He pulled them open to reveal the sun beaming down on Camelot from the center of the sky. Sure enough people were bustling in and out of the castle preparing for Morgana's birthday celebration.

"Damnit," Arthur cursed under his breath. "Tell my father I'll be down in a moment!" Arthur rushed to pull on new clothes so he did not look too horribly ragged from falling asleep in his day clothes. He bolted out of his chambers and down the hall, almost crashing into six different servants carrying dishes and decorations before he slowed his running to a fast-paced walk. When he finally reached the throne room, he found his father sitting, tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair in a very impatient manner.

"Do you care to tell me why you have awoken so late on the day of Lady Morgana's birthday?" Uther asked angrily.

"I was not woken up on time, as you do know; my servant is away."

"Your servant has been away for months. You could get another servant, Arthur. Why do you refuse to do so?"

"I don't need another servant."

"I don't think Merlin will be back. In the meantime, you cannot be the prince of Camelot while waking up after half the day has passed. I demand that you hire a new servant."

"Yes, father," Arthur said with mocking disappointment. He made his way back up to his chambers and grabbed the bag that was still packed from the previous night. He made his way out of the castle


	8. Author's Note 2

Okay, so the whole idea of this story is changing. Anything you have read before now is subject to be changed. I have a really good story in mind and I promise that I will update whenever I can. Thanks for reading. ^u^


	9. Chapter 7

Merlin and Annalyn were sitting next to a stream as it flowed lazily past. They were far from the Druids and the camp. Morys had been sent out on the evening patrol, so they only had each other to keep themselves entertained.

"You know, you don't talk too much about your feelings, Merlin. That isn't healthy, you know," Annalyn said suddenly.

Merlin looked at her, bewildered. "Where did that come from?"

"Merlin, you need to talk about what happened with you and Arthur. He wasn't just a one-time thing. You and I both know that. So just spit it out."

Merlin sighed. Annalyn rested her hand on his forearm reassuringly. "You need to talk about it Merlin. You know you can trust me. What you say here won't leave here."

Merlin looked back up at her, his eyes pained. Before Annalyn could speak again, he started.

"Well at first I was just his servant; and that's how I planned on it always being: the greatest sorcerer ever, babysitting the Prince of Camelot. It was my destiny. But then one day, everything just, changed. Arthur kept looking at me with such a different look in his eyes. I never said anything; because I was sure he would just laugh himself out of his wits and call me an idiot as he always did. I actually asked him if I could leave early that day and he agreed. I thought he had lost his mind. The next thing I knew he had just confessed his love to me… I told him I had magic, and he turned me away. He threatened to kill me the next time he saw me. So I just left." A tear flowed down Merlin's cheek and he lowered his head. Annalyn hugged him.

"Sorry, you must find this pretty pathetic."

"Merlin, you are like a brother to me. Everything you do I find pretty pathetic."

Merlin glared at Annalyn and she smiled. They both burst out into laughter and fell on the ground.

"But in all seriousness, that is really unfortunate what happened. You don't think he maybe was just caught up in the moment? Maybe he didn't mean any of what he said," Annalyn said hopefully.

"No. If there is one thing that I know about Arthur Pendragon, it is that he is just like his father. Arrogant, selfish, ruthless, and a hate for magic so deep, I'm sure they have forgotten what exactly put it there in the first place."

"They don't hate it. They fear it. They can't understand it. That's the thing about Pendragons. They shun whatever or whoever they can't understand and convince everyone else to do the same."

"It is Arthur's destiny to be the kindest and most just king that Camelot had ever known."

"Well that's his problem-"

"It was my destiny to make sure he got there…"

"Well Arthur doesn't deserve someone like you. If he becoming a great king is so important, then another sorcerer can be picked because you don't deserve to be stepped all over like that."

"What makes you say that?"

"You are an extremely talented sorcerer, Merlin. And you said all Arthur did was call you an idiot left and right. What is the point of that?"

"Well, I didn't always do the smartest things-"

"It doesn't matter. Prince or not, if he is to be a great king, it does not start by mistreating his servant who has to save his life at least 50 times a day."

Merlin smiled. "Don't act so protective, Annalyn. I might get the impression that you care about me."

Annalyn laughed. "Oh shut it."

The horns blared back in the camp. They were almost too silenced by the distance to be heard. Merlin stood up and looked at Annalyn who remained on her back.

"We have to go."

She threw her arms straight up in the air. "I need help." Merlin laughed as he grabbed her arms and pulled her up. They made their way quickly back to camp to meet up with Morys.


	10. Chapter 8

Arthur had managed to get himself out of the castle this time around before anyone had caught suspicion.

"Arthur, where are you off to with a packed bag?" asked one of the knights.

"Hunting; I am going hunting." Arthur sounded much more convincing today than he had last night.

"But sire, it is Lady Morgana's birthday."

"Yes, I know. I didn't say I'd be gone all day, now did I?"

Just then an unfortunately familiar voice came around the corner.

"Arthur, you will go put that bag back in your chambers. You will not miss the Lady Morgana's birthday," said Uther.

"I'll only be gone a short time-"

"Arthur!"

Arthur reluctantly dragged himself back upstairs and threw his bag to the side of the room again. He let out a frustrated sigh as turned around and flopped down on his mattress. A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned his head and noticed a stranger standing in the center of the room. Arthur jerked up and looked at the man.

"Who are you?" he demanded, feeling behind him for his sword.

"I am your new servant, Gregory," replied the man, sounding much too happy to be a servant.

"You lie. Tell me the truth, or I will run you through!"

"Your father hired me this afternoon, because he said you were in need of a new servant. I was more than happy to be of service to the crowned Prince of Camelot."

Arthur shuddered. He wasn't used to having a servant that actually wanted to listen to him.

"Shall we get you dressed for this evening, sire?"

"Okay." Arthur was still very confused and slightly concerned about the sanity of this man who claimed to be his new servant. Were servants supposed to be this obedient? He was quiet throughout the whole time it took to get ready. The only time he spoke was to thank his servant before leaving his chambers and making his way to the dining hall.


	11. Chapter 9

"No, Merlin! You can't just flip about like a fish!" Annalyn called, laughing at him as he flailed his arms helplessly. Ever since he had arrived at the Druid camp, he had been able to use his magic freely. So freely that he had begun losing his control over it. Thus, Annalyn and Morys agreed to teach him how to control it.

Morys chuckled slightly as Merlin sat on the ground, looking defeated.

"You're movements must be controlled. If you can't control them, how do you expect to control your magic?"

Morys moved his arms about skillfully, as if they were choreographed movements, and Merlin watched as he formed a soft cloud of smoke appear and then disappear in between Morys' hands.

"Well, you don't have to be that boring," Annalyn scoffed. She moved her hands about, a bit faster than Morys had, and a snow ball appeared in her hands. She threw it at Merlin and laughed. Morys chuckled again as Merlin tried to shake the bits of snow from his hair.

"How do you even _do_ that?" Merlin asked. He had never seen anyone create weather elements before.

"We are Druids, we have been able to use our magic freely all our lives. You'll get to weather spells soon enough, Mr. greatest-sorcerer-who-ever-lived," she teased.

"Hey, that's just what I was told. Trust me, I don't believe it either!"

"Oh, that is just nonsense!" Morys said. "You dealt with sir-boasts-a-lot over in Camelot. I'm sure you are capable of anything."

They all broke into laughter as a horn began to blare from the center of the camp.

"Oh boy, time to go see who won positions in this evening's patrol," Annalyn said sarcastically, letting out an exasperated groan.

They all trudged slowly towards the center of the camp along with the other Druids.

The elders stood in the center holding a few scraps of paper that held the names of those who would be leaving for the next few hours patrolling the camp surroundings.

"This evening, we are sending out more than one patrol,"

Multitudes of protests arose from the crowd.

"The elders demand your silence! We choose to do so because a threat of an attack from Camelot has been confirmed. The prince was seen outside of the castle with a packed bag conversing with his knights. We must raise our awareness to this information."

"These names will patrol the path leading to Camelot…Rosalind, Gareth, Annalyn, Howel, Bertram, Clarine, Merlin, and Elaine. You shall make your way into Camelot and listen around for any suspicious word of mouth."

More protests erupted. "They will be killed if found in Camelot! You must be losing your minds!"

The elders ignored the shouts as they continued addressing the first patrol. "Two of you will make your way into the castle. Tonight is the birthday celebration of the King's ward. He will surely be distracted as to where you can make your way about to find any clues as to when or how Uther plans to attack us. The rest of you shall remain in the village gathering any information you can. Remember to remain anonymous." With that the elders returned to their scraps of paper and called out 4 more groups of patrols to search and guard each direction outside of the camp.

Merlin and Annalyn joined their assigned patrol as they panicked about what they had to do.

"How will we get in? What will we do? We will surely be killed as soon as we set foot inside Camelot's walls!"

Merlin held up his hand to silence the group. "There is a break in the wall around the lower villages. Entrance is not a problem. And you must dress like the villagers or you will look suspicious. Just act natural like you are having a conversation with someone here, but whatever you do, do NOT say magic. Don't even hint at magic or you will be in the Camelot dungeons before you know it."

The Druids listened carefully at Merlin's instructions. Once he had finished speaking, they all looked a bit less frightened at the task at hand, but certainly frightened nonetheless.

"But, who is going to the castle?"

Merlin and Annalyn exchanged looks and turned back to the others. "Annalyn and I can handle this."


	12. Chapter 10

"To Lady Morgana!"

Goblets all around the room clinked against each other as Uther rose a toast to the Lady Morgana. Arthur tried his hardest to smile, but he kept seeing his new servant out of the corner of his eye. It made him think of how much he missed Merlin. Uther nudged Arthur roughly. Arthur hadn't realized that he had zoned out thinking about Merlin.

"What is the matter with you, Arthur?" Uther whispered roughly.

"Nothing, I'm just tired."

"Tired? You slept for half of the day!"

Morgana rested her hand on Uther's shoulder.

"It is alright, Uther. If Arthur is tired then perhaps he should return to his chambers-"

"That is nonsense, Morgana. It is your birthday, and he will be here to celebrate it."

Morgana's eyes met Arthur's and she mouthed 'sorry' before she turned her attention back to the crowded dining hall. Arthur returned his attention as well. The knights chattered happily amongst themselves. Surely the chatter slurred by the influence of the multiple goblets full of wine they had taken in since the start of the party. Joyful music played in the background, but it was practically inaudible with the clank of utensils against plates. After everyone had had their fill of food and wine, the servants came to clear away the tables as the crowd shifted into the ball room for dancing. Morgana stayed behind to walk alongside Arthur.

"It's about him, isn't it?"

"What on Earth are you talking about, Morgana."

"You miss Merlin. You'd rather have him by your side than that other servant. Am I wrong?"

Arthur sighed and stopped walking. Morgana turned to him and rested her hand on his forearm.

"You must forget him, Arthur. It never would have worked between the two of you anyway. You know that. Merlin knows that too. It is better this way."

Morgana hugged Arthur quickly before turning towards the entrance to the ball room. Before she entered she turned around again. "Arthur you can return to your chambers. You don't have to suffer anymore tonight."

"I've got nothing better to do."

They both entered the ballroom that was already deafeningly loud with music, singing, and dancing. Arthur went to stand next to Uther.

"Arthur, the knights are going to start suspecting that something is wrong with you. Go join the celebration, would you?"

Arthur reluctantly made his way into the crowd. The celebration felt like it was lasting an eternity.


	13. Chapter 11

Merlin and Annalyn led the patrol towards the break in the wall. The sky was almost dark, which meant that they would have good coverage getting through into the village. Everyone had become so frightened of making noise that they didn't even use telepathy to communicate on the way to the wall. Once they reached it, they stopped. It seemed like the entire world had stopped for a moment. Merlin used his telepathy to go over what they all needed to do one more time.

_Blend in, don't be obvious, and don't demand conversation. Act natural. If Annalyn and I do not return in over 2 hours, head back to the camp. _

Once Merlin had gotten 7 responses, they all began to carefully crawl over the wall and into the village.

_Stay in groups of two and do not get too far separated. Use your telepathy to communicate with each other if you discover any information that the others need to know about. We'll be back._

Merlin and Annalyn headed towards the castle.

_Are you sure you want to do this? I can go alone. _Annalyn said to Merlin.

_No. We are in this together. We will get out alive. It is Morgana's birthday. Anyone in that castle is too drunk to function._

It took the two much longer to reach the castle than Merlin planned.

_We've just reached the castle. Have we discovered anything?_

Merlin received 6 responses that all translated to 'no we haven't.'

With that, Merlin led Annalyn to the side entrance of the castle that led to the holding cells. He pulled the door slightly. It was unlocked. They entered and made their way cautiously down the hall. They stopped right before the turn that led to the stairs. All of the cells were empty. Just before they began to head up the stairs, Merlin heard _rogue magic in Camelot. Our position has been given away. Run for the wall! Run for the wall!_ Just then, Merlin spotted a familiar face down the hall standing next to the rope that rang the warning bells.

_Hello Merlin; long time, no see. Of course our reunion is about to be cut short._

"Morgana?"

Morgana smirked before she yanked the rope next to her. Merlin grabbed Annalyn and turned to run but Morgana threw out her hand and froze both of them on the spot. She ran up the stairs shouting for guards. Annalyn chanted several spells, but none of them could break Morgana's spell.

"Annalyn, stop. You are not strong enough to break it."

"I'm a Druid… how is rogue magic stronger than mine?"

Before either of them could say anything else, the spell was broken and they both fell to the floor. Within moments, they were surrounded by knights. Merlin choked at the amount of alcohol he smelled on them.

There was one man in armor who looked like he hadn't had even the slightest amount of wine this evening. He had blond hair. And blue eyes. His face held a very surprised expression. _Arthur_. Merlin stood up and pulled Annalyn up as well. Annalyn chanted a spell under her breath which sent all of the knights stumbling backwards. As drunk as they were, they all fell. Arthur, however, pursued Merlin and Annalyn as they bolted out of the door in which they came. They ran for the village.

_Everyone head back. Retreat! Retreat!_

They had eventually run straight into a dead end. It was the wrong part of the village. Merlin zipped around to see Arthur approaching him menacingly. Those blue eyes had hatred in them again. _Guess he has finally recognized me._

In moments the two were completely surrounded by drunken knights. Annalyn raised her hand to use the spell again, but before she could get any words out, Arthur sent a sword through her body. As he pulled the sword out her body shuddered and she fell to the ground.

"Annalyn!"

Merlin crouched down beside her and held his hand over her wound. He began to chant a healing spell, but Annalyn stopped him.

"Let me heal you."

"No, Merlin."

"Annalyn."

Annalyn sat up and pulled Merlin into a tight hug. "I'll never forget you, Merlin. I hope you'll never forget me either."

Merlin hugged her back tightly as he felt her breath begin to diminish. Eventually her breathing stopped all together. Merlin let her fall limply into his arms. He picked her up and slowly rose from his knees. He looked up to see that it was only Arthur who had stayed standing there, watching the scene.

"Merlin?"

Merlin met Arthur's eyes. His eyes were full of fear and remorse.


	14. Chapter 12

Arthur met Merlin's eyes. They were full of pure anger; pure hatred.

"Merlin, I'm so-"

"Save it," Merlin said in a low tone. Arthur almost flinched.

"Merlin, I didn't mean to do that…"

"Oh really, Arthur? Just like you _didn't mean to_ run me out of Camelot for having magic? Like I said, save it."

Merlin's eyes glowed a fiery yellow and Arthur was thrown several feet away on his back. Merlin took off in a sprint towards the break in the wall, Annalyn's limp body slung over his shoulder. Arthur sat up and shook his head. He watched as Merlin ran towards the wall. Before Merlin reached it, he turned around.

"If I ever see you again, Arthur Pendragon, I will kill you."

With that, Merlin wedged himself and Annalyn to the other side of the wall and into the forest. Arthur's heart twisted with agony. The last thing he would ever hear the love of his life say to him was a threat on his life. He stayed in the sitting position he had been thrown into.

_Is this how Merlin felt_? This thought made him feel even worse about the situation. Arthur reluctantly pulled himself up and made his way back to the castle. He entered the throne room where Morgana was sobbing in front of Uther.

"The Druids, they somehow got into the castle and they began attacking me. I was lucky enough to be able to escape and get to the warning bells before they could cause any damage."

"Who were these Druids?"

"One was a woman with red hair and the other was…"

"Who, Morgana, who?!"

Uther sat at the edge of his throne.

"It was Merlin."

The room fell dead silent. Uther rose and called in all of Camelot's finest knights.

"Tonight, we were attacked. Not only in our outlying villages, but here in the castle as well. It seems our war on magic has made several enemies for ourselves. One of these enemies is the Druids. Tonight, the Druids have shown that they wish for war against Camelot. I say we give them their wish. Tomorrow at first light, we ride."

Arthur who had been standing quietly in the doorway spoke up.

"Father, nothing serious has happened. Perhaps we should just wait until they have truly attacked us."

"They were inside our castle walls, Arthur! They tried to kill Morgana!"

Uther approached Arthur and smacked him across the face.

"I suggest you pick your side wisely Arthur. If you want to fight on the Druid's side, then so be it. But if that is the side you pick, then know that I won't be afraid to run you through with my sword."

With that, Uther left the throne room. Morgana walked slowly from the other side of the room towards the exit as well. Before she left, she turned to Arthur slightly.

"You're lucky that redhead was so dull, or your precious Merlin would be dead."

Arthur glared at Morgana as she left the room and slammed the door behind her. Arthur remained where he stood and continued to think about Merlin's final words. He thought of how angry his words were. How sad Merlin looked as he watched the redhead fall to the ground. He thought of how tomorrow, Arthur had to fight against Merlin and the Druids, which would only heighten the tension between Merlin and Arthur, and bring them even farther apart.

**A/N: Okay so I know the story has changed a lot from when I first uploaded it but I personally feel like it is a bit better. Sorry a lot of the chapters are kinda short that is just how I write, but I promise I will try to make the chapters to come longer. Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you are enjoying the story so far. ^u^**


	15. Chapter 13

Merlin had finally caught up with the rest of the group outside of Camelot. The group let out a small gasp together as they saw a limp Annalyn held in Merlin's arms. Once Merlin reached the group, he gently laid Annalyn on the ground.

"Tonight," Merlin started, voice shaking. "Camelot has killed one of our own. I imagine that they plan war immediately, as we were found not only in their kingdom, but within their castle."

Everyone listened attentively and fearfully.

"The elders have brought war upon themselves by sending us in there; they have gotten one of us killed. They wanted war, and now they have it."

Merlin picked up Annalyn and led the way back to the camp. As they grew closer to the camp, Merlin heard footsteps closing in on them. He whipped around and saw a shadow running towards them, bearing the Camelot arms.

"Take her back to camp and warn everyone that we may expect invasion tomorrow at first light," he whispered harshly, shoving Annalyn into Gareth's arms. As the rest of the group ran towards the camp, Merlin walked hesitantly towards the same direction as the shadowed man. He became less hesitant when he realized that it was only one person.

"Merlin!" called out the man. It was Morys. Merlin smiled, and ran towards Morys.

"What are you doing out here, Morys?"

"Camelot, they've left, they're headed for the camp!"

"What? Now?!"

Merlin and Morys took off towards the camp, but it was too late. Camelot guards were swarming in by the dozens, their swords thrashing towards children, adults, and elders alike. Within a few moments several Druids were lying dead on the ground while several others floundered trying to flee the camp. As Merlin arrived he caught a glimpse of Arthur in the back. Was Merlin insane, or was that _remorse_ that he saw in Arthur's eyes?

The cries of children and the yells of knights rose high into the night sky. Uther Pendragon stood at the top of a hill, looking down on the mayhem. He smiled and nodded a satisfied nod. As Uther scanned the grounds he saw a familiar face staring back at him. It was that old servant boy, Merlin.

Merlin, where had he heard that name before? He had heard it recently, very recently, earlier that day, in fact. Uther's face lit up in anger as he realized that Merlin was the sorcerer who had tried to kill Morgana and threatened to do to same to Arthur. Merlin noticed the sudden urge to kill in the King's eyes and slowly began to stumble backwards. Uther jumped on his horse and began to charge towards Merlin, who took off running.

Arthur was walking slowly through the woods back to Camelot. He had left his horse at the camp; someone would surely notice and return it to him. Suddenly he heard wild panting coming from behind him, and he jumped into the bushes on the side of the path. He then saw a man come whizzing past him, pursued by a man on a horse. Arthur stuck his head out cautiously to catch the man running on foot trip over a branch and crash face first into the ground. The man on the horse jumped down and quickly drew out his sword. It was King Uther, Arthur's father. The man who had tripped groaned and tried to stand up, but Uther kicked him back down.

"Not only did you try to kill my ward," Uther said, kicking the man so he rolled over onto his back. Arthur let out a silent gasp. It was Merlin.

"You tried to kill my son, Arthur Pendragon, the crown prince of Camelot." Uther brought his sword up. Arthur felt his heart skip a beat, and he swore that time stopped. Before Arthur could think, he drew out his sword and ran towards Uther. As Uther sent his blade crashing down, Arthur ran him through. Uther let out a pained gasp as Arthur immediately withdrew the sword. Merlin was staring up in disbelief. The mighty King fell to reveal Arthur, holding a sword bathed in his father's blood. Arthur threw down the sword as he rushed to Merlin's side. Uther's glazed eyes stared at his son. Arthur stared back at him, his eyes burned with anger.

"I am sorry father, but this was for the good of Camelot," said Arthur.

"I've always believed in you, Arthur," said Uther. "But I am not going to apologize for trying to get rid of magic. If you wish to follow in the path of evil, then may Camelot crumble underneath you."

With those words, Uther's breath hitched, and his eyes closed slowly. His body went limp as the very last of the oxygen in his lungs slowly left his body. Camelot's King was dead. Uther Pendragon was dead.

Merlin stared up at Arthur. He couldn't believe what just happened.

"Yo-you just killed Uther? Your father? The King!" he gasped.

"He was going to kill you."

Merlin met Arthur's eyes truly for the first time in forever. They weren't angry or sad. They were, happy, or hopeful, or something along the lines of that. Before he knew what was happening, they met in a hungry kiss; a kiss that said 'good god, it has been forever since we last did this and I've missed it.' It was several moments before Merlin broke the kiss. He knew something was not right.

"But, you killed him Arthur… why would you do that because he was only going to kill _me_?"

"You idiot," Arthur laughed. "I'd do anything for you. It took me a bit too long to realize that, I know, but I would."

Arthur pulled Merlin back towards him, but Merlin resisted.

"I'm sorry Arthur, I can't."

"But, Merlin, I-"

"I just can't!"

Merlin stood up, and headed towards the camp. A loud shriek came from the camp. Merlin took off running. Arthur picked up the body of his deceased father and slung it over the saddle of Uther's horse. He set a steady walking pace back towards the druid camp where he was sure there had been at least a hundred more deaths; and it sickened him.

As Merlin arrived back at the camp, he saw three knights pinning two small children against a tree. Their eyes were filled wide with terror as the sharp arrows bobbed closely to their faces. The knights eyes only showed amusement and joy.

"Stop!" Merlin yelled out. The guards laughed before they aimed their arrows at the children again, pulling the string and letting it relax as they brought the weapons close to their faces. Merlin ran and tried to ram himself into the knights to knock them over. When he did, the children fled from the spot to try and find their families. The knights slammed Merlin into the tree and the wind was knocked out of him. In this time, one of the knights sent an arrow straight through the left of Merlin's torso.

Arthur had finally made it to the camp to see the arrow pierce him. His heart definitely dropped. He couldn't hear it beating. He could only hear his breath come shakily as the knights all stood up and cheered over the bodies of the dead and the dying.

"Knights of Camelot, come to attention!" Arthur called out. His eyes continued to scan the area as the knights gathered around him, their cheering halting abruptly. He gulped.

"The King, King Uther, he…he has been killed…I believe he may have been chasing a druid, and a bandit caught him with is sword…" Arthur said solemnly. He only wished he did not have to fake it so much. The knights began to remove their helmets and bow their heads in mourning.

"I would like you all to escort the King's body back to Camelot, and prepare a vigil. I am going to remain here and scan the outlying areas for any more signs of the Druids."

"Won't you need men, sire?" asked one knight.

"Do not question me! Just go!" The knights hurriedly got on their horses and headed back down the path towards Camelot. Arthur jumped off his horse as soon as the knights had crept out of sight and he ran to Merlin. He was still conscious, but barely.

"Merlin? Merlin! Stay with me, stay with me," Arthur pleaded, trying to wrap up Merlin's wound so he could be carried.

"Arthuuur," he said quietly. The name was so slurred, Arthur almost couldn't recognize it as his own.

"I'm here, I'm here," Arthur said, trying his best to reassure him. He ripped pieces of his cape and wrapped them around Merlin's torso as an attempt to relieve some of the pain and stop the blood flow. Unfortunately, from the pained groans that Merlin was making, he could tell that it was not helping.

"Let me assist," came a calm voice. A pale, delicate hand rested on Merlin's chest; his body relaxed, his breathing steadied, and his face was no longer contorted into a pained expression.


	16. Author's Note 3

Okay, so I know this story has been kinda off and on (mostly off) lately. It is because I've been having a lot of trouble with thinking of ideas.

So I have a question:

Where do _you _want to see this story go? Let me know what your ideas are; I will try to incorporate as many of your ideas as I can.

Thanks for supporting me for so long, you guys are awesome! ^u^


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